Bond-wire-retaining nut-lock.



W. E. DAVIN.

BOND WIRE RETAINING NUT LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED MAE.7, 1911.

Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

M wB .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

WILLIAM E. DAVIN, 0F MCKEES ROCKS, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF'10 HARVEY. BARTLEY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

BOND-WIRE-RETAINING- NUT-LOCK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, WILLIAM E. DAVIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at McKees Rocks, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBond-Wire-Retaining NutLocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in nut locks and consists of acombined nut lock and keeper for securing the nut of a bolt of a railjoint and retaining the electrical bond or circuit wires in position.

The invention comprises an integral washer plate of spring metalprovided with an integral element for engaging and retaining the nut andan integral element for engaging and retaining the bond wires, saidelements forming portions of the washer itself. s

While the invention is not restricted to the particular construction or;design of either of the said elements, they are each made as integralportions of a resilient washer plate, and in the drawing I haveillustrated one of the preferred forms.

The device, as to the nut locking feature, in the form shown, is similarin construction and operation to the nut locking washer disclosed in theprior patent of Bartley No. 982223 of January 17th, 1911, it beingunderstood however, that the washer plate is preferably sufficientlyresilient to provide a somewhat elastic base or bearing for the nutitself, whereby, when the nut is secured tightly in place, the washerwill oppose it with considerable resistance whereby to assist in theholding of the nut in engagement with the threads. 7

In the drawings illustrating the invention: Figure 1 is a view in sideelevation of a rail joint equipped with my invention, and showing theseveral locking washers in position. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view onthe line II. II. of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged similar sectional viewshowing a modified arrangement. Fig. 4 is an outer face View of theresilient nutlocking washer. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the same.

In rail joints, bond wires 2 for the circuit are ordinarily employed totransmit the current from one of the rails 8 to the adjacent connectedrail 4, which rails are ordinarily connected by splice bars 5 of anysuitable construction. The several connecting bolts Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed March 7, 1911.

Patented Nov. 14, 1911.

Serial No. 612,958.

6 are provided at one side with the nut-locking and bond-wire-retainingwasher plates 7 having a central bolt hole 8 and an outwardly projectingbaokwardly extending curved ear or lug 9 having an inner wireretainingcavity 10 and a bearing terminal 11.

Integral with the plate 7 is a partly severed or partly bent resilientlocking tongue 12 adapted to be'engaged by one of the several straightedges of the nut 13, whereby to retain the nut against reverse movement.

In the particular construction of locking washer shown, the lockingtongue 12 is ex-. tended outwardly beyond the middle transverse portionof the locking washer and is :provided with a rounded rib 14 and an in--wardly extending ledge 16, over which the inner edge of the nutprojects and upon which it always bears.

As stated, the washer plate 7 isitself resilient, being made of asuitable spring metal as steel, and when applied in position upon theface of the splice bar 5, the terminal 11 of the bond-wire-inclosing lug9 bears against the upper outer portion of the'splicebar 5 as shown. Thedevice thus provides an aperture through which the wires 2 pass, carebeing taken that the rounded or shrouded portion 9 of the washer is ofsufficiently large curvature and dimensions to embrace the wires, butwithout direct contact or binding against them. This feature is ofespecial advantage in that it positively retains the wires againstsagging or lateral displacement, while permitting of their easyinsertion or removal in attachment to or detachment from the rails,without necessity of removal of the nuts and washers or any disturbancewhatever of the rail joints.

The device is preferably so formed that in applying it to position, asindicated in Fig. 3, the terminal 11 will make contact with the splicebar before the inner face of the washer has come into contact with theouter side face of the splice bar, or with an inserted washer or filler17, as indicated in the modified construction of Fig. 3. By thisarrangement, the resilient washer will not be brought into closeintimate contact with the outer face of the splice bar, or with saidfiller, except by considerable screwing force exerted upon the nut, sothat-the washer itself, due to the engagement of the terminal 11 and ofthe lower edge portion of the washer, will exert a very considerableoutward pressure against the nut. This in itself is of eifectiveadvantage in maintaining a constant binding friction against the nut 13,whereby to, to an extent, prevent its loosening.

When the nut is screwed tightly to position, securing the several partstogether with the washer plate tightly into contact with the splice bar,the nut is also positively retained against reverse rotation by thespring tongue 12, greatly assisted by the 1 vice conslstmg of a flatmetallic body porconstant outward pressure of the washer plate againstthe nut. Thus, when the terminal of the bond-wire-retaining keeper makescontact, the spring of the washer, due to the pressure of the nut, willexert a torsional or reverse pressure in the attached integral lockingtongue, whereby its action on the nut is, to an extent, in proportion tothe pressure of the nut itself against the washer plate and theresulting binding action of the bond wire terminal against the splicebar.

It will be understood that the tongue 12 or other equivalent element maybe of what ever design or shape whereby to positively engage against theside of the nut, and the invention is in no way restricted to thespecific form of this feature.

-Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A combined nutlocking and wire-reportion provided with a bearing terminal extending inone direction and a nut-engaging element extending in another directionfrom the washer.

8. A nut locking and wire-retaining detion having a bolt hole and anintegral partly severed outwardly bent resilient locking tongue at oneside and an integral backwardly bent wire-retaining tongue at another ofits sides, substantially as set forth.

4. In a rail joint, the combination with the rails, splice bars, boltand bond wires;

of a nut locking and wire-retaining device.

consisting of a spring metal washer having an integral outwardly bentdevice for holding the nut and an integral oppositely bent portion forretaining the bond wires, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

'W'ILLIAM E. DAVIN.

I Witnesses: V

C. M. CLARKE, CHAS. S. LEPLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

